C-130 replacement...

[H Richard]

I put in a few hours being transported i a C130 back in the early 60's. A several hour flight from France to Libya I was glad I had my tool box with me and got out my Hearing Protesters (such as they were back then) . The noise was terrible, the whine of the T56 turbo prop engines was enough to drive you to distraction.

 

[AJ]

Have flown in the C-130 on many, many deployments state side. The same can be said in the Far East. Have made a couple of Trans Lant and more Trans Pac than I can remember. One thing I learned besides hearing protection was to bring a nylon roll up hammock. Usually could talk the crew into letting me string it up on the pack up.

I remember flying from Agana, Guam to Kaneohe Bay, Hi. Was sleeping when one of my plane captains woke me up and had me look out the window. The port inboard prop was feathered. He was going nuts because of it. I went over and looked out the starboard window and both engines were turning. I looked at him and said"What's the matter we still have three turning!". Then got back in the hammock and went back to sleep. He was very glad to get off the aircraft in Hi. He watched as the engine was worked on as if he was QA'ing the work. We still had to ride that bird to Cherry Point, NC............

 

[Farmer17]

I always thought the C-130 with snow skis was really cool!

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have watched them do a short strip landing, back up and light the JATO bottles.

Most impressive.

 

[AJ]

I have watched them do a short strip landing, back up and light the JATO bottles.

Most impressive.

"Fat Albert" at the Blue Angels airshows use to do JATO takeoffs for the crowds. I do not believe that JATO is available any more. Maybe there is something else in the works. Or it is not needed due to the Osprey.

 

[Retired W4]

Having lived right outside Little Rock AFB (home of the C-130) and being stationed at Dobbins (adjacent to Lockheed) I have had my share of up close experiences with them. That includes several rides in the back. I can say it's not a very comfortable ride, but it will get you where you are going. Watching the early AC-130's work out at night was an incredible sight. A much better show than the AC-47, which was pretty cool as well.

The J model Herc, with the RR engines and 6 bladed sabre props, along with a glass cockpit is a fine aircraft.

 

[fordson]

Actually, the F4 was developed as a Navy fighter, later adopted by the USAF.
Just like the Skyraider.

….and the A-7E, Corsair II……flew in USN, USAF and many foreign colors….

 

[Retired W4]

I have watched them do a short strip landing, back up and light the JATO bottles.

Most impressive.

I used to watch them train at the school house, LR AFB. They do an assault approach which is a VERY steep approach with a big flair at the bottom. They can land on a dime and give you a nickel change. The maintenance guys were always busy changing brakes and tires.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

Old does not mean Obsolete. And Obsolete does not mean Ineffective.

 

[erikpolcrack]

Had lots of jumps from many different aircraft. Never had to go into a hot DZ, but if I ever did, I would certainly want it to be from a C-130.

 

[LVSteve]

Our jet engine upgrade to the C-130 is the C-17. It's larger than the C-130 and smaller than the C-5. Unlike the C-5 it can use unimproved, dirt airfields, like the C-130.

The C-17 is in a completely different load class to the C-130 and C-390 by a factor of three.

 

[pmanton]

I've done HALO jumps from the C-130. Going off the ramp I got the sensation of hanging in the slip stream looking at the plane for an instant.
Then the plane zips upwards.

 

[Truckman]

Actually, the F4 was developed as a Navy fighter, later adopted by the USAF.
Just like the Skyraider.

Everyone recognized a class act when they saw it, including many foreign nations...Iran still flies them...I was a weapons mechanic in the 349th MMS working on C's, D's and E's......Ben

 

[Faulkner]

We see C-130J's fly over our area quite frequently coming out of the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Arkansas. They do a lot of low level flight training around the Ozarks and I snapped this picture as one passed over our house.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Old does not mean Obsolete. And Obsolete does not mean Ineffective.

There are some comments I take personally.

 

[tlawler]

"Fat Albert" at the Blue Angels airshows use to do JATO takeoffs for the crowds. I do not believe that JATO is available any more. Maybe there is something else in the works. Or it is not needed due to the Osprey.

I saw Fat Albert take off from Lakeland at a Blue Angels show many years ago with the JATO bottles. Most impressive.

 

[Greyman50]

Well, the “ BUFFs” saved us a couple times in RVN. Flying on 130’s we counted the “ rattling rivets”, lol
Now who remembers the Caribou?

 

[rwsmith]

NOT ME!

Lemme get this straight. You think it aught to be replaced just because its old? And you're asking this on the S&W Forum? Hell, most of us own and shoot guns a lot older than that airplane. Should we replace them?

I'm certainly not asking if it should be replaced. I put them in the same category as the A-10. Don't retire it until you have something clearly better. I'm wondering why other countries are turning to the Embraer, and if our military has any plans to retire the C-130 and if so, with what? Surely not a plane of foreign manufacture?

The Embraer Millenium looks a little like a smaller C-17. Maybe that's the role that they have in mind.

 

[rwsmith]

70 Variants??????

I just looked up the number of variants and it says 70 (Seventy)! I don't know if that counts the gunship versions. That's going through the alphabet more than TWICE!

 

[Kanewpadle]

Nothing against Brazil, but I don’t like outsourcing for military hardware. Not to mention the potential for lost jobs here.

And yes, the C-130 is very uncomfortable to fly in. I flew from California to Maine in one. Did the same in a KC-135. Went across the pond a few times too. Hated it.

Red jump seats suck. But I’m sure an aircraft built for combat was never supposed to be comfortable.